Tip: Creating A Dynamic Delay-Effect

Tips & Tricks
1

Here’s something I just thought of yesterday. I mostly use Signal Follower to control other tracks than itself (like when sidechaining) so the idea struck as new to me, maybe you’ve been doing this all along. :)

dynamic delay.xrns

On some effect outboards like the TC Electronic M300, there’s a type of delay called “Dynamic Delay” which “allows the Delay Output level to be actively altered by the dynamics of the Input level. The basic idea is to have a lower level of the Delay repeats while the instruments are played (or vocals are sung) and an increased level of Delay when no Input is present. A function that leaves the source material clear and undisturbed while played and delicately accompanied by the Delay between phrases”.

Anyway, the idea in Renoise is to add a signal follower and a delay (I like Bionic Delay 1.2) and then you control the mix-parameter on the delay based on the signal, so that the mix mostly contains the original signal while the instrument is played. That makes the piano in this example much clearer. Try to disable the signal follower in the example I posted to see what I mean. This method works nice on reverbs as well.

PS. Why do you always get the best ideas in the shower? :)

2

because in the shower your blood gets in action, so you also got more blood floating in your head around…that´s where the idea´s come from :walkman:

3

compact: Could be. :)

4

maybe some doctor could explain it better than me but it works. nice idea btw.

thanks!

5

I’ve been doing this as well, but also with Reverbs. Actually, for some songs I’ve channeled all my wet FX into a group-send called “wet” and ducked the group volume via the signal-follower for particularly BIG percussive hits like bassdrops. Has a sonic boom type effect.

You could also invert the signal follower for an interesting percussive style delay.

6

Here’s an xrns on how to control wet mix of the native delay device, pretty self-explanatory.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/bqqfemobyqyrrb6/control_wetmix_delay_by_vincentvc.xrns

I hope I’m not falling into repetition, I haven’t seen this “trick” anywhere on the forums as of yet… HF. :)

(used your keys, hope you don’t mind…)

7

mr_mark_dollin: Yeah, a lot of fun can be had with the signal follower, one just have to think a little about how to use it. :)

vincentvc: No problem. :) I first thought about using the builtin delay to state the example, but I’m not a big fan of it (too limited, misses filters etc). Also its send-parameter is something different than a mix-parameter, so one would have to do just like you did in your example by creating a send channel where you regulate the output gain of it.

8

Yeah indeed, delay could have some extra features… But with signal follower you can do some fun stuff altogether (using filters eg), me thinks. And I enjoy getting the most out of native plugins, instead of opting for third party fx’s.

I use the technique I showed in the xrns to only effect the delayed signal as well. :)